September 27, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 27
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Following Scripture Verses

1. Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3. A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
4. Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
5. Open rebuke is better than secret love.
6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7. The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8. As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
9. Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
10. Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
11. My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
12. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
14. He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15. A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16. Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
17. Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18. Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
19. As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
20. Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21. As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so a man to his praise.
22. Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23. Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
24. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?
25. The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26. The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
27. And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.

Today's Pathway:
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"Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured." - Proverbs 27:18

In today's proverb Solomon explains the importance of being a faithful, active servant. He gives two examples of this principle. First he states that a man who takes care of a fig tree by watering it, pruning it, and doing whatever else is necessary to keep the tree healthy will ultimately be rewarded by harvesting a bountiful crop of figs. Likewise he points out that a servant who continually waits on his lord and carries out all the commands that he is given will ultimately receive honor from him.

There is an earthly application to this Scripture. In this life their are menial tasks that no one likes to do. Normally we wind up working for someone else, doing a job that the boss doesn't want to do himself. The work may be hard and tedious, and the employer may not give us much praise.. However, if a man is faithful to his job, shows up on time, does what is required of him and more besides, and is honest in his dealings, eventually there will be some form of honor bestowed upon him.

We must also notice the spiritual application. We have seen numerous times that the Lord expects faithfulness from His servants. Sometimes that means that we need to inconvenience ourselves. Sometimes it requires us to stand alone. Sometimes it subjects us to ridicule, or even monetary loss. It sometimes means doing menial tasks in order to see that the church of God goes forward. It may require us to move outside of our "comfort zone" to walk by faith alone. However, if we are willing to serve our Master and tend to the "fig tree" that He has given us, He will someday reward us greatly. It may be in the results we see from our labors for Him, or it may not be until we stand before Him in glory. However the promise has been given, and God will never go back on His Word.

Pastor Mark J Montgomery